MANILA, Philippines — The participation of more young Filipino agricultural and biosystems engineers (ABEs) is needed to support the future growth of the country’s agriculture sector, according to Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
“Engaging the youth is imperative to attain a growth of 2.5 percent goal for 2021 and to sustain our progress toward a fully food-secure nation,” Dar said at the recent 70th Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE) Annual National Convention.
He said the DA is looking to advance the transformation of the agriculture and fisheries sector into a competitive, science-based and technology-backed industry, managed by young, creative, innovative and vibrant Filipino ABEs.
Dar said ABEs are key players in the implementation of the Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016 and the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law, and other related laws.
“Now more than ever, farmers need to maximize tried and tested technologies and generate new ones responsive to the present times,” Dar said.
He urged ABEs to look at how they can come in and support the four key pillars in transforming the Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector under the Department of Agriculture’s OneDA reform agenda.
As part of its farm consolidation efforts, Dar said the DA is looking at the establishment, operation, maintenance and management of Agri-Fisheries Machinery and Equipment Service Centers and the Laser Land Levelling spearheaded by the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering.
Dar emphasized that modernization heavily requires the involvement and participation of ABEs through the provision of agricultural machinery hugely funded by DA banner programs for rice, corn, high-value commercial crops, livestock, and organic agriculture which form part of the implementation of the National Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Program.
The DA is pursuing the industrialization of agriculture by strengthening of local assembling and manufacturing of agricultural machinery with the ongoing formulation of agricultural machinery manufacturing road map and feasibility study of Agricultural Machinery Exhibition in Clark.
“Agro-processing like the expansion or upscaling of the rice processing centers as well as processing centers for corn and high-value crops need the services of ABEs,” the DA said.
Dar also underscored the need to establish the career system of ABEs, agriculturists, veterinarians and fishery professionals who are frontline professionals in the agriculture sector.
To complement professionalization in agriculture, the DA entered a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the implementation of Government Internship Program (GIP) for ABE Youth.The internship program has already deployed the first batch of 110 young ABEs in DA Regional Field Offices and other DA agencies like Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA), and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).